When it comes to Easter chocolates, people fall into two camps – scoffers and stashers. 

A scoffer will go to town on their haul, demolishing every Cadbury creme egg, Lindt bunny and anything else that has been touched by chocolate. Stomach ache be damned, it’s a bunny-approved binge and they’re taking full advantage. 

A stasher, on the other hand, shows restraint. They believe that good things come to those who wait so they’ll indulge in a few Easter treats and then save the rest so it can be enjoyed over a few days. Weeks even. Potentially months, depending on their willpower and size of their haul. 

But even though both parties are eating the same amount of chocolate, one is being marginally healthier. 

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From a dental perspective, scoffers come out on top. 

It’s to do with sugar. While we know it’s not great for our teeth, it’s better for us if we get the sweet treat over and done with rather than stretching it out.

The Sun reports that dentist Baresh Eyrumulu from Banning Dental Group says the problem isn’t the sugar itself, but how often you eat it. 

For those of us with a dental degree, the science behind it is that the plaque in your mouth turns the sugar in chocolate into acid, which can damage a tooth’s surface and cause tooth decay. 

“Tooth decay is not caused by the amount of sugar that you have, it’s actually caused by the frequency,” Dr Eyrumlu says. 

“So if you have a chocolate bar and you split it to have at five points throughout the day, that is far worse than if you had it in one go.

“While we certainly don’t advise bingeing on lots of chocolate in one sitting, if you are going to enjoy the occasional treat then it’s better to have it at once rather than grazing on it throughout the day.”

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